Centerboard.



J. E. MOWBRAY.

Patented June 13, 1911.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

. JOHN E. MOWBRAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CENTER-BOARD.

Serial No. 588,029.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. MOWBRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Centerboard, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to center-boards for boats and consists of a novel construction of a center-board which is especially adapted to be utilized in conjunction with motor or sail boats of any conventional or desired type.

It further consists of a novel construction of a center-board which comprises a bottom member and side member movably connected with the bottom of the boat and capable of being moved or drawn up into close proximity to the bottom of the boat.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth. 7

. For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawing one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalitie's of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of one type of a boat in conjunction with which a center-boardembodying my invention is employed. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line a--a:, Fig. 2. Fig. 4c represents a sectional view of another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 5 represents a sectional plan view of a modified form of bottom member which is employed in some cases.

Similar numerals of references indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings: 1 designates a boat of any desired or conventional type provided with a bottom 2 and if'desired, a keel 3.

4E and 5 designate side members or wings,

the upper ends of which are movably mounted in the brackets or fastening devices 6 and 7, respectively, which latter are located, in

the present instance, on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the bottom 2 or the opposite sides of the keel 3, if such is employed.

8 and 9 designate arms, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected with the keel 3 or with brackets 10 and 11 respectively, in case the keel is dispensed with.

12 designates the bottom member of the center-board to which the lower ends of the arms 8 and 9 are connected. The member 12 may, if desired, be deflected to form a keel'member 13, adapted to fit over the keel 3 and if such member is used, the lower ends of the arms 8 and '9 are pivoted tl1erein,las indicated at 14. In case the keel 13 is not in Fig. 4:, the lower ends of the arms 8 and Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1911. 7

Application filed October 20, 1910.

9 are preferably pivoted to brackets 15 and j 16. The forward end of the bottom member 12 may, if desired, extend beyond the extends through a conduit 19 carried by the boat and extending through the bottom 2 thereof. If the keel 13 is employed it is preferably recessed as indicated at 20, in order to receive the blocks 17. In some cases arising in practice it is preferable that the bottom member 12 be provided with apertures and in Fig. 5 I have shown such member as comprising an outer frame 21 to which is secured the bars 22, which carry 7 the blocks 17 and to which are securedthe lower ends of the arms 8 and 9, it being 3 noted that the forward end of the bars 22 are preferably rounded.

In the operation, the lowering of the bottom member 12 will permit the side wings 4 and 5 to drop downwardly into the position seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. If the forward end of the bottom member strikes an obstruction it will move longitudinally and upwardly, thereby moving upwardly therewith the side wings 1 and 5 to a sufficient height to permit theboat to pass over the obstruction without injury to the centerboard or the boat by which it is carried. If the boat is moving rearwardly and the bottom member 12 of the center-board strikes an obstruction, such bottom member will swing upwardly toward the bottom of the boat, thereby causing the side wings to swing upwardly toward the bottom of the boat. It will thus be apparent that if the bottom member of the center-board strikes an obstruction when the boat is traveling in either direction, such bottom member and also the side members 4: and 5 will be carried upwardly toward the bottom of the boat in such a manner as to permit the boat to pass freely over the object with which the center-board has come in contact without injury to the center-board or the boat. My novel center-board may be placed at any desired location along the bottom of the boat and any desired number of the same may be employed, although in the majority of cases but one center-board will be essential. I The cable 18 may be mechanically or power actuated as desired. In some cases arising in practice it is desirable to have the bottom member 12 apertured, but such a construction is not necessary in all instances.

The conduit 19 preferably extends not only through the bottom 2 of the boat but also above the deck thereof, as will be clearly understood by reference to the drawings. The bottom member 12 may form a skeleton frame or may constitute a plane, the construction of this bottom member depending upon the size of the boat in conjunction with which the same is employed, although for the sake of illustration, I have shown the wings and bottom member as comprising a plane when employed in conjunction with a boat having a substantially flat bottom but it is to be understood that in the broad scope of my invention the wings and the bottom member will correspond substantially to the contour of the bottom of the boat.

Special attention is directed to the fact that when a device constructed in accordance with my present invention is employed, a shield or armor protection for the bottom of the boat is provided in case the boat should strike bottom rock or other foreign material, which would tend to perforate the bottom of the boat and by my novel con struction, I am enabled to prevent, in a large measure, any liability of the bottom of the boat becoming punctured. Special attention is also directed to the fact that in my present device the entire hold and deck space is available for use for storage or other purposes and I am enabled to wholly dispense with the well for the centerboard which has heretofore been deemed indispensable in cases where a center-board is employed, it being evident that in my present invention it is simply necessary to provide means for the passage of the cable 18 or its equivalent.

In the drawings, I have shown but two of the brackets 6 and 7 but it is of course to be understood that in practice the number and the distance apart of these devices will vary in accordance with the size of the vessel and the number of arms 8 and fastening devices for the wings and center-board will vary in accordance with the requirements met with in practice.

In practice I preferably employ but one of the blocks 17 and the forward end of the bottom plane or skeleton frame 12 preferably terminates in proximity to the forward lower end of the wings 4 and 5.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of a center board which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a boat bottom and its keel, of a bottom movably pivoted to said keel, and side wings pivoted on opposite sides of said keel;

2. T he combination with a boat bottom, of a plane movably carried thereby, and side wings movably carried by the boat'bottom and coacting with the plane to move said side wings toward the bottom of the boat.

3. The combination with a boat bottom, of a plane pivotally supported thereby, and side wings pivoted to the boat bottom and having their lower edges engaging said plane.

4. The'combination with a boat bottom, of arms having their upper ends pivoted thereto, a plane to which the lower ends of said arms are pivoted, and side wings pivotally carried by the boat bottom and having their lower edges engaging said plane, whereby the vertical movement of the plane will impart movement to said side wings.

5. The combination with a boat bottom,

.of a plane movably supported thereby, side wings movably carried by the bottom and at all times in engagement with said plane, and means for raising or lowering said plane.

6. The combination with a boat bottom and its keel, of a plane having a portion thereof deflected to form a keel adapted to closely engage the boat bottom keel, side wings pivotally carried by the boat bottom and engaging said plane, and means for raising and lowering said plane and thereby said side wings.

7. The combination with a boat bottom and its keel, said keel having recesses therein, of a bottom member pivotally carried by said boat bottom, on opposite sides of'said keel, the pivotal connection of said bottom member being adapted to be seated in said engaging said frame, and a cable passing recesses, and side Wings movably carried by through the boat bottom and coacting with 10 the boat bottom and conforming to the consaid blocks to raise or lower said frame.

tour thereof.

8. The combination With a boat bottom, JOHN MOWBRAY' of a skeleton frame pivotally carried there- Vitnesses:

by, blocks carried by said frame, side Wings E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS, pivotally carried by the boat bottom and C. D. MoVAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

